5 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large aubergine, 1/2 cm slices
1 large onion, chopped
4 oz (115g) mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp vegan red wine - optional
1 tsp mixed herbs
3 oz (85g) walnuts, chopped
1 oz (30g) wholemeal breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper
1 oz (30g) wholemeal flour
1/2 pint (275ml) soya milk
Extra walnuts to garnish
Heat 2 tbsp oil and fry slices of aubergine on both sides, then drain on paper towels. Set aside. Add 1 tbsp oil to the pan and saute the onions for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook for 5 minutes more.
Stir in tomatoes, puree, wine (if used) and herbs and cook gently until a sauce forms. Add walnuts, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. If necessary, add a drop more oil, vegetable stock or tomato puree mixed with water.
Put the remaining oil, flour and soya milk into a saucepan and whisk continuously over a gentle heat for about 5 minutes until thick and smooth.
Lightly grease a shallow oven-proof dish. Arrange half the aubergine slices across its base, top with half the nut mixture and then half the white sauce. Repeat.
Bake in an oven pre-heated to 180C/350F/gas mark for 30 minutes. Top with extra nuts halfway through cooking time. Serves 2-3.
* 2 Tbsp olive oil
* ¼ cup whole grain flour (approx)
* 1 ¼ cup water
* 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
* salt & pepper to taste
* pinch nutmeg
If you are using dried lentils in your healthy vegan recipes, they must be fully cooked before you begin. Lentils do not need to be soaked before cooking, but if you like to it doesn’t hurt to soak them for an hour. This will reduce their cooking time by about 10 minutes.
If they’ve been soaked, drain the beans, and then add enough water to cover them by 2 inches. Gently boil them with NO salt. You can add a bit of kombu (seaweed) to the cooking water while they boil for improved digestibility. Lentils will take about 30 minutes to cook.
If you are using canned, look for a can that does not have any salt listed in the ingredients. Some varieties are actually cooked with kombu, which is ideal. Be sure to rinse and drain the beans before using them.
Start by heating a large saucepan to medium and sauteeing the eggplant slices in olive oil until soft and golden on both sides. Remove them from the pan, then saute the onion in olive oil until soft. Add the garlic and cook until lightly. Saute the celery lightly next, then add the tomatoes and lentils. Season with salt & pepper, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes or so. Stir the parsley in at the end. *Note – you can save some time, but add a pot to your sink of dishes, by sauteeing the eggplant in another pan while the sauce cooks instead of the same pan beforehand.
Meanwhile, make the sauce by warming another pot and adding the oil. Sprinkle the flour into the pot while stirring. Use just enough flour that it starts to form a ball. Allow the flour to cook lightly until it is slightly darker in color. Add the water in stages, stirring as you add to make sure the flour combines smoothly. Once you have added all the water, cover the pot and allow the sauce to cook for 10 minutes or so. The sauce is fully cooked when you can no longer feel the graininess of the flour in the sauce. Once it is cooked, season the sauce to taste.
Assemble the moussaka by layering the eggplant slices and lentil-tomato sauce in an ovenproof dish. End with a layer of eggplant on the top. Pour the sauce over the eggplant and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees F.